Minister Girish Mahajan meets farmer leaders – The Hindu

Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan on Sunday met All India Kisan Sabha national secretary Ashok Dhavale, State secretary Ajit Navale and CPI (M) MLA Jiva Gavit and invited them for a meeting at the legislative building on Monday afternoon.

“There have been some lapses in the implementation of the farmer and tribal related schemes. Therefore we will be calling the secretaries of all the concerned departments for the meeting,” said Mr. Mahajan, after the meeting.

Among other demands of the farmers, the three major are of a complete loan waiver, remunerative price for the farm produce and implementation of the Forest Rights Act which will benefit tribals.

‘Universal demands’

“These are universal demands and not limited to the farmers of Maharashtra. The AIKS agitation has successfully brought them on negotiation tables and we will be pressing them tomorrow,” said Mr. Dhavale.

Meanwhile, the State government is mulling over the options to keep the protesters outside south Mumbai. “We do not want to put citizens of the city in trouble. We will be walking past midnight from Somaiya ground to Azad Maidan, which will not create trouble to anyone. But we will reach south Mumbai at any cost,” said Mr Dhavale.